Chapter 2: The Night

For a while, Chip tossed and turned, but there wasn't the least bit of sleep to find, and it wasn't due to the full moon's pale light shining in through the window. Then he decided that when he was unable to find sleep, maybe sleep would find him. So he just lay there on his back and stared at the small ceiling which Dale's bed formed.

He lay and stared...

If his sleep was out there, it would have no chance to get past his thoughts.

He saw Gadget's face on the lower side of Dale's bed, bright and clear as if he had a projector strapped to his head. She smiled at him. He stretched out a hand to touch her, to caress her. But as he realized that she felt like wood, he also realized that he couldn't stand that anymore. It wasn't even a dream, he was awake all the time.

'Okay... I could stay in bed... try to sleep... and slowly go insane...'

He decided against that and got up. He tried his best to be quiet while sneaking to the door. But that wasn't necessary.

"You can't sleep?"

Chip turned around and saw his friend looking at him, slightly illuminated by a bit of the moonlight.

"Oh, sorry Dale, did I wake you up?"

"Chip, you didn't even let me sleep. Now what's up with you that you're walkin' around in the middle of the night?"

"I'm thirsty. I'm going to the kitchen and have some drink."

"No, you're not. You're not lyin' awake all night due to thirst. So, what is it?"

Chip didn't say a word. That was not the reaction he had expected from Dale, nothing he was prepared for.

"Does it have something to do with yesterday? Why aren't you yourself anymore since yesterday?"

"Well..." He wasn't able to go on. What should he say after all?

"C'mon, Chip, you can tell me everything. I'm your friend, remember? Your long-time best friend. Now, what's up? Are you afraid of losin' me to Foxy?"

"No, I'm sure you'll always be one of us. A Rescue Ranger as well as my friend."

"So it's about Gadget, am I right?"

Dale was right, but the least thing that Chip wanted to hear now was the name of his love spoken by his former competitor.

"Where did you get that idea from?"

"Chip, I'm not blind. I can see your reactions when she's around. The way you sometimes stare at her."

"Dale, how do you think you have the slightest hint about how I feel and what I'm goin' through?!"

"Calm down, Chip, you'll wake up the others. Now listen. I know very well how you feel. I started realizing it when I fell in love with Foxy."

"When you fell in love with Foxy, she was already almost your girlfriend. That's totally different."

"Not for Foxy. When we were out yesterday, she told me how she watched us on some of our late night cases before we first met. How she was waiting for a chance to finally come and see us, especially me. And how her chance came when she had to save my life at the drive-in. And I understood her," Dale slipped in a sigh, "because now I love her the same as she loves me. Besides, we two, you and me, have been friends now for ages, so I should know you, don't you think?"

Chip felt the urge to deny what Dale had said like he was used to, but he couldn't do that this time. It wasn't the usual nonsense. Dale had a point. Things did have changed.

"That's true, of course. So, what do you think I shall do now?" Chip was fully aware that this was maybe the first time ever that he asked his friend for such an important advice.

"Well, you're in no way like Foxy, and Gadget's not me, so you can't do as Foxy did. But I think you can't go wrong with a little date. Ask her out. Take her somewhere, just you and her."

"Do you believe I can do that?"

"Aw, Chipper, surely you can do that! You could do that back when I spoiled your first attempt at a date, why shouldn't you now?"

"Hm. Maybe you're right."

"Of course, you can also throw a love confession at her for breakfast, but I don't think you'll get as far with that as with a date or two. Or maybe a few more."

Dale's sudden knowledge about these things was not only surprising, it was downright frightening, compared with his usual goofiness, and yet the best that could happen to Chip.

"Now come back to bed and dream of something nice."

Chip shook his head. "I'll still not be able to sleep now. No, I must think about all this. Good night, my friend."

He left the sleeping-room and snuck through the murky corridors to the main room where he let himself fall onto the couch. His mind started to project images onto the dark TV screen as he tried to form something useful from his thoughts.

'So I'll take her out on a date. I'll finally have her all for myself.'

Gadget's face almost filled the screen.

'Gadget... I so want to tell you how I feel for you... This date has to be absolutely wonderful, as wonderful as you are. What shall we do? Where shall we go? What would you love to do together with me?'

Possible locations flicker up on the TV screen.

'A stroll in the park? Nah, not only. We can do that spontaneously. Drive-in?' Chip remembered the Winifred incident. 'Not really. Though the last time gave Dale his Foxglove and me a free path to Gadget. Maybe one of the airports? Uh, no, she has spent almost all of her life on one. Besides, she'd just get carried away by all that high tech. The Acorn Club? No, that's no place to take a girl on a first date. And it reminds me too much of Clarice. Has that already been five years now? Oh well... Hm, some café, or some restaurant maybe...'

He started to simulate possible dates at several locations in his mind while watching them on the switched-off television. Slowly, his subconsciousness took over, the simulations turned into dreams, and two tired chipmunk eyelids grew heavy as Chip leaned back, lost himself in his thoughts more and more, and did not try to defend himself against the sleep which had found him half sitting, half lying on the couch, and which finally came over him.

Music surrounded him as he suddenly found himself seated at a table, Gadget sitting opposite him. She had done what she usually did to dress a bit up-she had replaced her goggles with a flower in her hair. They had just finished some light dinner, and now they were chatting about all sorts of things. None of the other Rangers was there, and Chip enjoyed being alone with Gadget, listening to her voice when she talked, and seeing her face before him, especially when she smiled which she did often.

Gazing to the side, Chip found out that the place they were at had a large dance floor on which some couples of rodents were moving to the music. His view was directed back to Gadget as he heard her voice again.

"Would you like to dance?"

He didn't know how, but within seconds, Gadget had changed from her lavender overalls to a sleeveless evening gown made of silky dark blue fabric, still wearing the flower. Of course he liked to dance with that overwhelming beauty sitting at his table-though he had to admit he didn't know that she could dance. However, after he had led her onto the dance floor, he found out that and how well she could. The music filled his ears, a gorgeous mouse girl filled his eyes, her scent filled his nose, and this time it was not the scent of oil, and he felt her right hand in his left while they held each other close with the other hands gently touching each other's backs. This overload of sensations made him more and more dizzy, so he decided to tell her what he always wanted to tell her as long as he had his mind at least barely under control.

Along with the music, the two Rangers stopped, and Chip took the chance that was offered to him.

"Gadget," he started, when he realized how tough going on was.

"Yes, Chip?" Gadget replied. "You want to say something?"

Another attempt of Chip's to talk followed. "Yes, I..."

"What is it?"

"I..." He gathered all of his courage, more than he ever needed on any case against any villain, and forced himself to finish what he had started. Now or never. "I... love you, Gadget."

A slight smile appeared on Gadget's face. "That's wonderful, Chip. That's really wonderful, don't misunderstand me." Misunderstand what? "But... I'm afraid I'm not ready for love yet. I need more time." With these words, she lost her smile and removed herself from Chip's hands. "Sorry," she added, turned around, and walked away.

"Gadget?" Chip shouted, trying to follow her. "Gadget!" But somehow he was unable to keep up with her.

A moment later, he was back in the RRHQ, sitting on the couch in his nightgown. It was just a dream. A dream which he hoped will never come true.

The first thing which came to his mind was that he may have shouted out Gadget's name not only in his dream, but as well in reality. So he sat for a while and waited for a reaction. But the Headquarters stayed silent. His shouting was only a part of his dream, or if they were partly real, his friends didn't hear him. Either way, he felt relieved.

'Hm. How long have I been asleep here?' Chip remembered that the time appearing to pass in a dream was not necessarily the time really passing. He shook off the last bit of sleep as he tried to figure out which of the watches on the walls was the one set to Eastern Standard Time. It was around 2:30 AM. 'Makes sense to go back to bed for a while,' he decided, 'before someone finds me here.'

He snuck back to his room and silently opened the door. Dale was lying in his bed and dozing. 'I bet he'll be more difficult to get out of bed than me.'

Laying down and closing his eyes, he let the recent dream run through his mind once more. Did it predict a possible future? Was it a warning? 'Chip Maplewood,' he thought by himself, 'since when do you believe in such a non-sense? Unrealistic stuff about her wearing a dress no less? You will ask her out! End of discussion.' With this self-convincing, he shoved his doubts out of the way, so there was no further need to think about it for now. Within few minutes, he found back to sleep.